Minis I would like to see made

[Weird WWII]

The Japanese were working on some microwave weapons ("Death Rays") during the war so that could be army specific for them.  Vehicle mounted and carriage-mounted most likley?  I already got my Jap Ninja commandos and some Komainu (Lion-Dogs) as support for my IJN landing troops.  Also Heroclix did a huge Fing Fang Foom toy that would be perfect for any Jap force.  You can get them for about $50 on the ol' eBay if you lucky.  A good price for such a huge and great looking toy.

Since this is Weird WWII you could bring South America and Mexico into the fray and bringing all the Aztec, Incan and Mayan stuff to a WWII-era conflict.  Just watch "Q: The Winged Serpent" and that could come into play with a South American belligerent.

Just some ideas,
Brian

[Predatorpt]

The Japanese were working on some microwave weapons ("Death Rays") during the war so that could be army specific for them.  Vehicle mounted and carriage-mounted most likley?...

Do you have more information about this?  

I'm trying to find some illustrations from the french comic "Block 109", with something else I would like to see made - German helis.

[Weird WWII]

I've seen some but don't remember where.  It was really like a huge piece of machinery on the back of a truck with a kind of dish.  Maybe those crazy electricity SPGs you see in the Godzilla flicks is what they were going for? 

Brian

[Jakar Nilson]

Do you have more information about this?  

It might be the brief description on this archived page (the original was on Geocities...)

http://web.archive.org/web/20091027015047/http://uk.geocities.com/sadakichi09/army/IJSW.htm

[Hauptgefreiter]

I'd like to see a not-Wolfenstein Übersoldat. Big, armored, wielding twin MG-42... 

[Predatorpt]

@Jakar Nilson - thanks for the link. I'll have to research the names of thos japanese weapons.

@Hauptgefreiter - For those  Übersoldat, what about the Dreamforge Sturmtruppen?

http://www.dreamforge-games.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_67&zenid=b06ccabe48c31294afc9d148a74bab9c

As for the Block 109 German Heli:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1O9EA1qviNI/TPZ5U9J9emI/AAAAAAAAA4w/FYFQAAjy_eU/s1600/Garde1.jpg  - original version

The pic, with all Nazi symbols removed:



Another shot:

http://storage.canalblog.com/83/02/266592/61894517.jpg

IMHO, that helicopter is great. Simple but hi-tech enough for WW2. What do you guys think?

[Hauptgefreiter]

No, I'd use the Dreamforge stuff as regular troops. They're not enough "Über"

I was rather thinking about a Hasslefree Jotun with some gothic style armour and beefed-up guns...

[Ballardian]

For helicopters, Special Hobby do a good FA-223 Drache in 1/48, which makes for a very passable small transport heli, while the Japanese 'Death Ray', being an offshoot of radar tech (initially many nations, UK included, thought that radar could be used as a 'death ray', with technicians during early tests finding that the equipment had the side effect of heating the tea  in the tin cups that they'd left near the gear) any radar dish - like model could be used to represent it.

[Predatorpt]

No, I'd use the Dreamforge stuff as regular troops. They're not enough "Über"

I was rather thinking about a Hasslefree Jotun with some gothic style armour and beefed-up guns...

The Jotun is just too "Resident Evil" for me. So maybe it's something else to add to my list - a not-Wolfenstein Übersoldat.

@Ballardian - Some time ago I thought about buying one of those models, but then I read this review:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Fa223.html

I still hope that Trumpeter (those guys make lots of Paper Panzers - E100, E75) decides to do some German helis in plastic.

And yes, the UK should have some microwave weapons too

[werwulf]

This link may be of some use on Secret Japanese projects:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_and_special_weapons_in_Showa_Japan

[blackstone]

Those little guys will do fine. Are they going to be available soon?

Hopefully have them out next month.

[Predatorpt]

@werwulf - thanks for that link, didn't find it the first time I searched the wiki 

@blackstone - glad to know that. Are they going to be sold in packs?

[blackstone]

Yeah most likely be a pack but if you just needed one or two as objectives that wouldn't be a problem.

[werwulf]

More info on Japanese tanks
  For Amphibious tanks and APC they started work on the Type 4 Ka-Tsu troop carrier:
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/04-AmphibiousTanks/Type4-KaTsu.htm
This was also used to carry torpedo's to attack landing craft and ships.

Also in the same class the Type 3 Ka-Chi, big brother to the Ka-mi:
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/04-AmphibiousTanks/Type3-KaChi.htm

And the even Bigger brother the To-Ku:
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/04-AmphibiousTanks/Type5-ToKu.htm

As for Army tanks they were all advanced versions of the Chi-ha Medium tank.
The Chi-nu had a bigger welded turret mounting a 75mm gun, contrary to the info from this site:
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/02-MediumTanks/Type3/Chi-Nu.htm

There was a newer version of the Chi-nu that used a long barrel 75mm  

The chi-to was a bigger version of the Chi-Nu with a 75mm gun:
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/02-MediumTanks/Type4/Chi-To.htm

And then the big brother the Chi-Ri with a main 75mm long and a 37mm in the main body:

http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/02-MediumTanks/Type5/Chi-Ri.htm

There are also Self Propels AT and Artillery pieces like the elephant the elephant look a like Ho-Ri:
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/05-SPG/Ho-Ri/Ho-Ri.htm
My reference shows the Ho-Ri looking more like the elephant that this picture.
The Ho-Ri II look very much like a Jagdtiger with a 105mm gun
Also another The Ka-To looked similar to the Nashorn that was a combo of the Na-To gun with the chi-re chassis.

If you want more info consider picking up the TankPower books on Japanese armour.  They are great references with color three views and production history.

All pictures are from the WW2 Drawings site.  Hope that helps.

[werwulf]

I'm sure everyone has seen these over on TMP by now: